A few weeks back, I had the opportunity to photograph Amanda and Rich for their engagement session. I had such a great time getting to know the two of them, and was so grateful that the seemingly imminent rain held off for the entire time we were shooting. Amanda grew up in Park Ridge, so the downtown area and the surrounding forest preserves provided not only a beautiful setting, but also one with significant sentimental value. As you can tell from the images below, Amanda and Rich have such a fun and sweet way about them which made them such a joy to shoot. I can’t wait for their wedding later this year at the Metropolis Ballroom!

Words are seeming to fall short in describing these last 3.5 months. “Amazing” doesn’t quite seem to do it justice. I’ve traveled 9200 miles in my car, been through 14 states, seen cornfields, mountains, canyons, deserts, beaches, and Redwoods. I’ve witnessed breathtaking sunsets, life-threatening storms, and awe-inspiring coastlines. I’ve reconnected with old friends and made some new ones, while plugging into all the micro-cultures that the beach and mountain towns along the way. For all of this, I’m grateful. It has been a truly life altering experience and one that I hope to expand on in a later post.

As I carry these experiences with me into the busy months of weddings and engagements before me, there’s a renewed creative vision and inspiration. I’d like to say that I’m bursting with with creative juices all day, every day. That would be nice. But if I told you that, it would be a lie. Like any artist, there is an ebb and flow to my creative inspiration. Right now, however, my inspiration cup is brimming, and I’m as eager as ever to pour it into the couples that I have the honor of working with this summer.

I recently returned from Savannah, GA where I kicked off wedding season with a beautiful southern wedding I had the opportunity to shoot with one of my close friends. They’re onto something with that whole southern hospitality thing, and as far as ceremony locations are concerned, it doesn’t get much better than a quaint little white church surrounded by towering oak trees laced in Spanish moss. With wedding season underway, these past few weeks have also been full of engagement sessions. I’m anxious to share them all, but especially excited to get things started with Kelly and Brian’s engagement. All those who know Kelly and Brian know how fun, genuine, and gracious of a couple they are. I have been so fortunate to work with so many amazing people and it’s always such a privilege to have friends ask me to capture such a significant day in their lives. I can’t wait for their wedding in a couple of months!

This week’s weather attests to the looming shift in season. Despite the fact that this winter has been anything but typical for Chicago, I welcome the warmth with open arms! Along with this change in season comes the growing anticipation of the 2012 wedding season. The other day as I was taking a look at my wedding schedule for the summer, I was overwhelmed by the how many amazing couples I have the opportunity to work with this year.

And speaking of amazing couples, Clare and Jon are no exception! I recently had the opportunity to photograph their engagement session downtown Chicago on one of the beautiful days that the city has provided lately. We began in the River North area and then explored the lakeside beauty of Belmont Harbor. Clare and Jon are such a fun and easy-going couple and it was such a great time getting to know them on the shoot. I can’t wait for their wedding at the Hyatt McDonald’s Lodge in Oak Brook this coming September!

2011 was a great year and I had the opportunity to document so many incredible days in the lives of numerous couples. In fact, if you would have told me all that would have happened in my life and the life of my business, I don’t know that I would have believed you. And though I have often recounted how my latest shoot ranks up there as one of my newest favorites, few rank up there with my most recent.

This past November my younger brother of 23 years got engaged to his girlfriend of 3 years. They met when my brother spent his freshman year at a college in Minnesota and didn’t start dating until after he transferred to a school in the Chicago suburbs. Not the best planning on their part considering Ashely was still up in Minnesota, but they made it work. And I guess to say that they “made it work” does a disservice to how their relationship thrived in these less than ideal circumstances. It’s like the more miles they logged up and down 90, the more their relationship grew. Sure, it wasn’t always easy, but I’ve long respected how they persevered in the midst of a situation that many other couples could have thrown in the towel.

What to say about my brother… Well, there are brothers that you love because they’re family and then there are brothers that you love just because of who they are. And though I’ve always loved my brother because he’s my brother, it’s more accurate to describe him as the later. Over the last few years, he has become one of my best friends. I just flat out enjoy who he is and I’m so proud of the man that he continues to develop into. Whether we’re sitting at a Chicago bar watching a Bulls or Bears game, or we’re stuck in Yosemite National Park sleeping in our rental car for 3 nights straight because we forgot to bring a tent we manage to have a great time together. His friends can attest to his unmatched loyalty, his strength of character, and his commitment to his faith. It’s for these reasons and so many more that I am beyond honored to be standing in his and Ashley’s wedding as his best man this June.

I always give Ashley a hard time because the first time I met her (at a time that I knew my brother was interested in her before they started dating), in the brief interaction we had, I thought she was giving my brother the run-around. I swear she was playing hard to get but she denies it. Once they started dating and I got to spent time with this girl who stole my brother’s heart though, my own heart quickly warmed up to her too – a fact I know to be true of the rest of my family as well. I mean, what’s not to love? She’s fun, she’s cute, and she has one of the kindest and gentlest hearts. What’s more is that she doesn’t miss a beat with my family’s often quirky sense of humor – a prerequisite my siblings have extolled over the years with anyone we’ve dated.

David and Ashley, I couldn’t be more excited to celebrate your relationship and I’m honored to have documented the start of this journey together with your engagement pictures. I’m so excited for your wedding and thrilled to be welcoming Ashely into our family. I love you both!

After a short holiday hiatus, I’m excited to get back in the swing of blogging. I can’t think of a better way to kick it off than Vanessa and Pete’s Chicago engagement session. In the process of editing their images, their engagement session has stood out as one of my favorite sessions of this last year.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m happy that winter hasn’t hit Chicago with the full force it typically does. In fact, I’ve almost gotten a bit used to it here in December. So much so, that when the forecast for my shoot with Vanessa and Pete said it would be sub 30 and windy, I assumed it would feel warmer than projected as it has most of rest of the days here at the end of year. And consequently, we planned on a late afternoon, outdoor shoot around various locations in Chicago. The unfortunate thing was the weatherman was right… he may have even underestimated how extremely cold it was going to be, especially along the lake. But the fortunate thing was Vanessa and Pete were so amazing to work with and incredible sports in the midst of less than desirable conditions. What’s more is that despite numerous repetitions of putting on and taking off their jackets, they did an unbelievable job of pretending like they weren’t absolutely freezing in the images.

I had so much with the two of them exploring some various parts of the city including one of the many Christmas tree lots scattered about the neighborhoods. I can’t wait for their wedding next summer at Chicago The School of Art Institute!

I have a passion for documenting the authentic love between a couple and I strive to honor that love with images that truly capture it. This is accentuated when I know the couple personally. When I’ve witnessed that love between them first hand, my passion for documenting what I know to be true about their relationship increases that much more. This was the case for Katie and Kurt.

I met Katie and Kurt last March when I began attending Soul City Church in Chicago. Instantly we became friends. They’re the type of people that you meet and you just instantly feel at home with, and for anyone that knows them, their relationship is the type that you look at and think, “I want that.” So when they asked me to photograph their five year anniversary, I was pumped. We had an afternoon back in October to explore North Ave. Beach. What I love about this location is how many different settings and backdrops are provided within a quarter mile of each other.

Katie and Kurt, congrats on your five years together and thank you so much for giving me the honor of documenting such a huge milestone in your lives. So grateful for you guys!

A few weeks back, when Fall was still alive and well, I had the opportunity to photograph April and Jeff’s engagement in Winfield, IL. April had initially contacted me about the possibility of photographing their wedding after I had photographed her sister’s last year in Quad Cities. I was so bummed to find that I was already booked on the date of their wedding, but I was grateful that despite this, they still asked me to photograph their engagement session. We had such a great time in the rustic setting of one of Winfield’s secluded forest preserves. I loved the little details that they incorporated in the shoot too, including the picnic basket and the blanket. These fit the setting so well and always adds a nice personal touch to any engagement shoot. April and Jeff – thank you so much for the opportunity to photograph your engagement. I wish the best to you both and your wedding approaches!

When I first met with Allison and Mike to discuss the possibility of being their photographer, I knew it was going to be a great fit. They are just the type of couple that I love to work with. We had such an amazing time at their engagement session. They were so much fun and so natural with each other even behind the camera lens. I was pleasantly surprised by yet another new location in the Wheaton area situated in the suburbs of Chicago. In case you can’t tell, I love shoot in the golden hour of the day. In the progression of images below, you can see how the light just kept getting better and better as the shoot went on. I love the romantic feel that the softness of the light creates. Congrats to you Allison and Mike… I can’t wait for your wedding next year at Klein Creek!

I had been looking forward to Parker and Andrew’s wedding ever since shooting their engagement session this past summer. If you had the chance to see their engagement session, you can understand why. They are so much fun together, incredibly photogenic, and the love between the two of them is so evident.

With Fall weddings there’s always the inherent risk of the weather, but for Parker and Andrew’s wedding, we had a near perfect day (maybe minus the unseasonably cold night that closed out the day). The day started in Wheaton for the ceremony before we traveled out to Kingsway Farm in Winfield for the reception. Parker is originally from Texas and I loved all the little details throughout the wedding that reflected this, from cowboy boots, to the farm setting for the reception, and even a few cowboy hats that made an appearance. The entire day was such a beautiful celebration of their relationship.

I was incredibly thankful to have the talented Edward Weiland along shooting with me for the day. Parker and Andrew, I’m so happy for you guys and was blessed to have the opportunity to capture your wedding day. Best to you both as you start your new life together!

I love nature. I also love Chicago but there have been times in the past that I’ve craved living in a location that gives me more opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. A few days in the mountains or on the beach does my soul some good. However, as I’ve scouted locations for shoots around the Chicago area, exploring down dirt roads and maybe even trespassing a time or two, I have been surprised just how many beautiful outdoor locations there are around us here. It’s even been amazing to discover new locations previously unknown to me just miles from where I grew up.

For Lauren and Tim’s engagement session we were able to take advantage of one of these local treasures in Glen Ellyn. As is blatantly evident from the images below, they are such a fun couple and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them on the shoot. I’ve commented previously on how much I love the softness of the Fall light, and on their shoot, as the sun drifted towards the horizon, the light just got better and better. I am so excited for Lauren and Tim’s wedding next June at Eaglewood Resort and Spa!